Fremont Focus

We're just under a week away from Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week, which is May 5-9 this year. Fremont teachers and staff work tirelessly to support our students’ learning and well-being. Here's an opportunity for you to acknowledge them for all they do!

You are invited to fill out the form below if you would like to send a kind message to a staff member for their positive efforts. We will be sure to pass along the good news. Thank you in advance for sharing your encouraging words.

This form will be open through Monday, May 5.

https://forms.gle/b5q56wcjJD2Chh5E8

Please read the following newsletter for detailed information, but here is a summary of key dates for quick access:

• April 30 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)
• May 5 - Parent Transition Night Forum, 6:30 p.m. (Zoom link)
• May 7 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)
• May 13 - PTO Meeting, 6:00 p.m. (Hawthorn Woods Country Club)
• May 14 - Early Release Schedule (MS dismissed at 2:13 p.m.; ES/IS dismissed at 3:08 p.m.)

Parent Transition Night Forum

May 5, 2025 • 6:30 p.m.

Zoom link

Parents, do you have a child transitioning to Fremont Intermediate School or Fremont Middle School for the 2025-26 school year? In collaboration with Fremont PTO, please join us for an interactive discussion and Q&A on Monday, May 5, at 6:30 p.m. This one-hour Zoom session will be led by parents and the school principals, and will cover what families can expect when their students transition to a new school. Please fill out this form to ask questions in advance and provide us with an accurate count of those who plan on attending. Advanced registration is not required.

Please note that a Parent Coffee is being held on May 2 for families with students who are transitioning from Lincoln Early Learning Center to kindergarten at Fremont Elementary School. Contact Lincoln principal Katie O’Brien for more information.

In an effort to connect the FSD79 Board of Education and the community, the District offers a summary of monthly, regular Board meetings. To view a recap of the April 19 meeting, including an update on Ivanhoe Village development negotiations please click here.

This month's recognition was held for this year's state wrestling meet qualifiers—eighth-grader Nathan and fifth-grader Daniel—as well as retiring Board of Education member Maria Simoncelli. Additionally, four members of the Board of Education who were recently elected were sworn in for their new term: Shawn Killackey, Pamela Shaw, David Whitson, and new Board member Latoya Conners Gray (pictured).

We would like to provide our families with some updates regarding our Wednesday Right at School program for our K-5 students. The District has worked diligently over the past two years to identify challenges and refine practices to accommodate the program’s growth. The program has grown from about 80 students to 130 (maxed at one point to 160) students.

Over the past few months, the District has been reviewing the program to ensure it remains safe, effective, and sustainable for our students and staff. We received a total of 58 responses to our late January survey. Survey result highlights include:

• 80% report satisfaction or high satisfaction

• 71% report the program is a necessity for childcare access and/or cost

• 60% report being unsure if charging a nominal fee would impact their decision to register

After gathering feedback and carefully reviewing the recent survey data, we’re making a few adjustments starting in the 2025-2026 school year to improve student safety and reduce operational challenges, while keeping the program at no cost to families.

• Limited Enrollment: The program will be available to 100 students to improve the supervision ratio and reduce the volume of student demands at the end of the day, improving safety and workload issues. This June, families will be able to register their students for inclusion in a lottery system to determine the individuals selected to participate in the program for the 2025-2026 school year. The results of the lottery will be shared with families in mid-July.

• New Start Date: We will begin the program in the second week of September, allowing our students, particularly kindergartners and first-graders, to acclimate to regular dismissal procedures prior to adding the Wednesday Right at School program to their schedule.

• Full-Year Commitment: Families will need to register for the entire school year. There has been little change in registration between the fall and spring cycles. Avoiding a mid-year registration should help alleviate confusion for some families.

• Consistent Pick-Up & Transportation: Consistent parent pick-up or bus transportation will be required. Providing weekly flexibility has proven challenging as it has added variables that contribute to inefficient bus or parent pick-up.

We’re excited to continue offering this valuable opportunity while making sure it meets the needs of our students and staff. More details regarding registration will be shared in the coming weeks. Please contact Nick Brilowski, Director of Public Relations, if you have any questions.

Each year, the Illinois Principals Association hosts a breakfast to honor some of the top students in the area who exemplify what it means to be an outstanding student and school citizen. Congratulations to this year's honorees:

• 2nd graders: Emma Z. and Luke P.

• 5th graders: Arianna A. and Jack F.

• 8th graders: Natalie S. and Emma S.

Fremont School District 79 has been recognized for excellence in budget presentation with the Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) for the 2024-2025 fiscal year as presented by the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO). This is the 15th consecutive year that FSD79 has received the award. This national recognition celebrates the district’s commitment to clear, transparent, and high-quality budget presentation, reinforcing its dedication to responsible financial stewardship.

To learn more about the honor, please click here. To access FSD79's 2025 Financial Report, please click here.

Summer Adventures in Learning is an enrichment program that offers a variety of classes for students at FSD79, which may include art, language, science, or other fun topics. This program runs from June 9-27 (no classes June 19) with classes from 8:50 to 10:25 a.m. or 10:40 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Each class will cost $75 and bus transportation can also be provided for $20/week. Registration closes May 2.

Course Catalog • Registration Link

Registration for Summer Boost is also open. Students can sign up for this virtual asynchronous program over the summer where they will be paired with a teacher in the area of Reading and/or Math. This program will run from June 9 until July 25. Please click on the link below to register for this program!

Registration Link

Please contact Alana Davidov at adavidov@fsd79.org with any questions.

As we head into the final month of our school year, we want to acknowledge our tremendous Fremont PTO for all that they do to support our schools, students, and staff. We are truly fortunate to have such an outstanding group of parents playing such a vital role.

We also want to acknowledge the efforts of Stacie Brown, who has served as PTO President for the past eight years. Thank you for your volunteer service and dedication!

2024-25 PTO Board

Stacie Brown, President

Yoon Chung, Vice President of Lincoln

Aimee Briggs, Vice President of Elementary School

Elisabeth Reigle, Vice President of Intermediate School

Rosa Lopez Washington, Vice President of Middle School

Jen Knop, Secretary & Interim Treasurer

Latoya Conners Gray, Parent Liaison

Katie Taylor Couturiaux, Communications

Thank you to everyone who has listened to and subscribed to our FSD79 podcast, "Fremont Leads." Hosted by Fremont Middle School teacher Jacki Mjoen, this series features interviews with our outstanding student leaders.

Subscribe via any of the platforms below so you don't miss an episode!

Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | YouTube Music | iHeartRadio

School supply lists for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year are now available.

Access the supply lists by visiting our School Supplies webpage.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

The Fremont PTO would love to see you at our meetings this year! Meetings are on the third Wednesday of the month in the Middle School Den at 6:00 p.m. Our next meeting is May 13 at Hawthorn Woods Country Club. Childcare services for children ages 3+ will be provided at ALL of our upcoming PTO meetings. Please use the form below to let us know if you will be bringing a child to the meeting. It is not required to RSVP; however, we ask that you please do so if you plan to take advantage of childcare. Care will be provided by Fremont Middle School students for individuals ages 3 and up.

RSVP Form for childcare: https://forms.gle/ceerdTKn7Pa51mVt7

Here is the list of all meeting dates for the 2024-2025 school year.

To stay in the know of what Fremont PTO is up to, follow and tag us on social media:

Instagram: @fremontpto

Facebook: Fremont PTO

EVA AWARD
Every year we honor one of our wonderful volunteers with the Excellence in Volunteering Award. To be eligible, the candidate must have their last child graduating from Fremont this year. Candidates can be submitted by a teacher, student or parent. Please take a moment to fill out this form by Monday, May 5. If you have any questions, please contact Stacie Brown, pto@fsd79.org.

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK - I’ll BE THERE FOR YOU
We all know our teachers and staff know how to PIVOT, PIVOT, PIVOT when necessary. For Teacher Appreciation Week 2025 let's celebrate all our awesome teachers and staff with a Woo-Pah and Jazz Hands the week of May 5-9 (Friends theme). They don't know that we know they know we know how amazing they are. Check out our flyer!

FREMONT PARENT-SON EVENT
You are invited to the Fremont Parent/Guardian & Son event. We are looking forward to a wonderful event playing, socializing and friendly competition.

Event Timing: Saturday, May 10, 2025, 4-6 p.m.

Event Address: Kristoff's Entertainment Center, 421 Rollins Rd Round Lake Beach, IL

Contact us at fsdptoparentliaison@gmail.com for questions. This is a 2-hour event and will include: 1 hour of bowling and 1 hour of unlimited arcade play. During the arcade play you will also have time to eat. Please fill out the following link to register: https://forms.gle/F9jYk7ABV9FxvS5QA

1st DAY SCHOOL SUPPLIES
It's that time of year! Time to start thinking about purchasing your 1st Day School Supply kits for the 2025/2026 school year! I know it’s crazy to think that it’s time already but before you know it, summer will be here. It's important you order your supplies before it's too late! Let’s start the school year with the exact supplies your teacher requested, and give your child the confidence they need to conquer next year!

Elementary school: http://1stdayschoolsupplies.com/gs/32164

Intermediate school: http://1stdayschoolsupplies.com/gs/1177849

Middle school: http://1stdayschoolsupplies.com/gs/32165

Questions? Please email Elisabeth Reigle at fsdvpis@gmail.com

SHOP. SCAN. EARN.
Forget the scissors - Box Tops for Education has gone digital! Simply download the Box Tops for Education app (see www.boxtops4education.com for more info), select Fremont School District 79 (in Mundelein, IL) as your beneficiary, and you're all set! Enter the code H02P2R0D when you register for bonus points. Then simply scan your receipts after shopping, and watch the points (and $$) add up for our schools!

UPCOMING DINE-IN NIGHTS
Check out our final dine-in night at California Pizza Kitchen on May 14!

ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK NOW!
Don’t forget to order your student's 2024-2025 yearbook. Use the correct school code from our flyer when you order!

BIRTHDAY BOARD

Celebrate your Fremont Student's special day! "Happy Birthday, Your Child's Name" can appear on the Fremont Electronic Message Board. Just complete the Birthday Board Request Google Form 2024-2025; or complete the birthday board form and send it back to any school front office with your $5 payment per birthday message. If you have any questions, please contact Christie Johnson at cjohnson@fsd79.org.

Please visit the PTO webpage for the most up-to-date information.

FSD79 offers local groups and organizations the opportunity to advertise their upcoming events in the Virtual Backpack. To submit your group's event for consideration, please submit a PDF flyer to publicrelations@fsd79.org. Check back regularly for upcoming offerings.

• Mundelein HS Dance Team Tryouts
• Mundelein Police Department Junior Police Academy
• Mundelein SC
• Liberty Prairie Summer Farm Camp
• Sweeps and Sculls Rowing
• Hawthorn Woods Elite Soccer
• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Ela Soccer Club
• Stevenson HS Community Education (PREP) Programs

The next edition of the Fremont Focus will be distributed on Wednesday, May 14. This will be in addition to the weekly e-newsletters sent on Fridays from principals at the school level.

Address: 28855 North Fremont Center Road, Mundelein, IL

Phone: (847) 566-0169

Website: fsd79.org

Facebook: facebook.com/FremontSchoolDistrict79

Instagram: @FSD79

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/fremont-school-district-79

YouTube: youtube.com/FSD79